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Financial Basics for Residents

Financial Basics for Residents. A Presentation Developed by The White Coat Investor. Last updated Feb 2019. Disclaimer . These slides were developed by The White Coat Investor, LLC, not a financial advisor, accountant, or attorney.

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Financial Basics for Residents

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  1. Financial Basics for Residents A Presentation Developed by The White Coat Investor Last updated Feb 2019

  2. Disclaimer • These slides were developed by The White Coat Investor, LLC, not a financial advisor, accountant, or attorney. • The presenter probably isn’t a financial professional either. • As such, this presentation is for your information and entertainment only and does not constitute formal, personalized financial, accounting, or legal advice. • The presenter of these slides has not been approved, certified, or trained by The White Coat Investor, LLC. In addition, the presenter may have modified the slides prior to presenting them to you. The originals can be found at https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com. • The accuracy of any and all information in this presentation should be double-checked using a reputable source. The White Coat Investor

  3. What We’ll Cover Today • Financial literacy • Student loan management for residents • Disability insurance • Term life insurance • Use Roth retirement accounts • A Written Financial Plan • Contract evaluation The White Coat Investor

  4. #1 Financial Literacy

  5. Your Second Job • Med School/Residency made you a clinical expert • No business training • No personal financial or investment training • A Pension Fund Manager in a “401(k) World” • Family CFO • Not automatic

  6. Your Second Job • You must spend time learning about finances/business • You cannot win the game if you don’t learn the rules • Hire professionals to teach you, not just do it for you • You must also spend the time to take care of your finances/business • You cannot be “100% clinical” and be financially successful

  7. Initial Financial Education • Read Four Books • Personal finance • Personal Finance for Dummies by Eric Tyson • Investing • The Bogleheads Guide to Investing by Taylor Larimore et al • Behavioral Finance • How to Think About Money by Jonathan Clements • Physician-specific finance • The White Coat Investor or Financial Boot Camp by Jim Dahle • The cheapest, easiest good financial book to get through • If You Can by William Bernstein (16 page free PDF) • https://www.etf.com/docs/IfYouCan.pdf • Put a written financial plan in place The White Coat Investor

  8. Continuing Financial Education (CFE) • Read one more good financial book each year • Follow a good financial blog, reading 5-10 posts/month The White Coat Investor

  9. #2 Student Loan Management

  10. Student Loan Burdens Worsen • Mean debt in 1999 ~$122K (Inflation adjusted) • Mean educational debt in 2018 • $255K for Dos • $200K for MDs • ½ of indebted docs have more • $300-$450K is becoming more common • Government won’t refinance them when rates fall • Current resident loans? 5.4%-10%

  11. How Bad Can It Be? • Monthly payment on $400K at 7.5% = ~$4900 per month for 10 years • If Gross income = $210K, and net income = $161K, $4900 per month is 37% of net income • It’s only getting worse

  12. We’re From The Government And We’re Here To Help • ICR • IBR • PAYE • REPAYE • PSLF • If you have federal loans, you need to become or hire an expert in these programs

  13. The Income Based Repayment Programs

  14. The Income Driven Repayment Programs • Payments have nothing to do with interest rate • Payments have nothing to do with debt burden • They are based solely on income and number of people in your family

  15. IBR • Income Based Repayment • The New, Better ICR (lower payments, more hardship features) • Only income-based plan allowed if you have FFEL loans instead of Direct Loans • Payments = 15% of Discretionary Income with a maximum of regular payment on a 10 year plan • Taxable forgiveness after 25 years of payments • Payments count toward PSLF

  16. PAYE • Pay As You Earn • The New, Better IBR • Not eligible if loans from pre-2007 or if no loans after 2011-must use IBR instead • Payments = 10% of Discretionary Income with a maximum of regular payment on a 10 year plan • Taxable forgiveness after 20 years of payments • Payments count toward PSLF

  17. REPAYE • Revised Pay As You Earn • The New, Better and Worse PAYE • Payments = 10% of Discretionary Income WITHOUT a maximum • Taxable forgiveness after 25 years of payments (20 for undergrad loans) • Payments count toward PSLF • Subsidized interest during residency • Higher Payments AFTER residency

  18. PSLF • Public Service Loan Forgiveness • ICR, IBR, PAYE, and REPAYE payments count • 120 on-time payments while working full-time for a 501(c)3 • Tax-free forgiveness • Most residencies and fellowships are 501(c)3s • Most academic positions are 501(c)3s • Many doctors working at non-profit hospitals are not employees of 501(c)3s • VA, military, CHCs, public health etc The White Coat Investor

  19. PSLF • Why PSLF Works • Lower payments during training • Amount forgiven = difference between residency payments and regular payments • Amount forgiven equals about what you owed at med school graduation • PSLF usually best option if you qualify • PSLF Side Fund (to hedge against legislative and career risk) The White Coat Investor

  20. The Other Option • Student Loan Refinancing • Impossible after 2008 Global Financial Crisis • Possible again starting in 2013 • Typical rates for an attending with good financials • Variable 5 year of 2-4% • Fixed 5 year of 3.5-5% • Variable 10 year of 3-4.5% • Fixed 10 year of 4.5-6% • You can typically get these once you have an attending contract in hand

  21. Student Loan Refinancing • You must qualify • All docs not offered the same rates • You may not be offered the same terms • Highly dependent on debt levels, income levels, and credit • Now possible to refinance during fellowship

  22. Student Loan Refinancing Companies • Laurel Road • SoFi • Common Bond • Earnest • Credible • Lend Key • 10+ more

  23. Refinancing in Training • Laurel Road, SoFi • $100 a month payments in training • Refinance private loans • RePAYE may be better for federal loans • Compare effective interest rates • Don’t refinance until sure about PSLF

  24. #3 Disability Insurance

  25. Your Greatest Asset • Protect your greatest asset • 2018 Average physician income: $275,000 • Typical career: 30 years • $275,000 X 30 = $8.25 Million • Physicians really do become disabled • 12-18% of Americans currently disabled • Up to 1/3 will have a disability of at least 90 days • Up to 1/8 will have a disability of at least 5 years • 90% caused by illness • Docs have higher rates of musculoskeletal and mental disabilities The White Coat Investor

  26. Long-term Disability Insurance • Pays a monthly benefit If you become disabled for > 90 days • Benefit generally tax-free unless premium paid by employer with pre-tax dollars • You can generally insure up to 60-70% of your income The White Coat Investor

  27. Long-term Disability Insurance • Buy it now • How much? • Current spending plus • Retirement Savings (Most policies only pay to ages 65-67) The White Coat Investor

  28. Individual vs Group • Individual policies • Stronger definition of disability • Portable • More options • More expensive • More difficult underwriting • Group policies • Weaker definition • Often non-portable • Must take what is offered • Cheaper • Fewer pesky questions and possibly no exam at all The White Coat Investor

  29. Riders • Residual/Partial disability • A must have • COLA • A must have in first half of career • Future Purchase Option • Most residents should buy • Catastrophic Disability • Consider just buying larger policy • Retirement Rider • Only worth it if you cannot buy as large of a policy as you like The White Coat Investor

  30. Saving Money • LTD Insurance is expensive • 2-6% of monthly benefit • $200-600 per month for a $10,000 benefit • Consider individual + group policy • Buy from an independent agent • Ask for discounts • Women- Look for Unisex policies • Cancel unneeded riders • Consider graded premiums • Cancel policy when you become financially independent The White Coat Investor

  31. #4Term Life Insurance

  32. More Income Insurance • Must buy if anyone else depends on your income • Also consider covering a stay at home parent • Pays a tax-free cash benefit upon your death The White Coat Investor

  33. Term vs Whole Life Insurance • Term is “pure” life insurance • You die during the term, it pays • Inexpensive • 10 year policy = $17/month for a $1M benefit (healthy woman) • 20 year policy = $27/month for a $1M benefit (healthy woman) • 30 year policy = $45/month for a $1M benefit (healthy woman) • Unlike disability, women cheaper than men • Useful for income protection during your career • Whole life = life-long death benefit plus low return investment • Costs 8-20X as much for same benefit • A product designed to be sold, not bought • 75% of physician purchasers regret their decision The White Coat Investor

  34. How Much To Buy • Decide what you want the money to do • Allow spouse to never work? • 25X annual expenses • Pay off house? • Pay for college? • Remember federal and most private student loans are forgiven at death • Add it all up and round up to nearest million • Typically $2-5 Million for most docs The White Coat Investor

  35. #5Use Roth Retirement Accounts

  36. Retirement Accounts Rule! • Asset protection • Most states protect 401(k)s and IRAs from your creditors • Estate planning • Easy to designate beneficiaries, plus stretch IRAs • Cheaper rebalancing • No taxes due upon selling an asset • Better behavior • Penalties make it less likely you’ll raid the account inappropriately • But still plenty of ways around Age 59 ½ rule The White Coat Investor

  37. Retirement Accounts Rule! • Lower taxes = Higher returns The White Coat Investor Source: Retire Secure by James Lange

  38. Favor Roth Accounts During Residency • Tax-deferred = up-front tax break • Tax-free (Roth) = tax-free at withdrawal • You will probably be in a higher bracket in retirement than in residency • Tax-deferred contributions can reduce IDR payments and possibly increase PSLF • Be sure to get any employer match • Ask HR for plan document and read it The White Coat Investor

  39. #6A Written Financial Plan

  40. The Secret To Physician Wealth • Make a lot of money • Don’t spend a lot of money • Make your money work as hard as you do • Don’t lose your money • Creditors, Taxes, Death, Disability, Speculation • You’ve already won the game (the rest is easy) • Convert your high income into a high net worth The White Coat Investor

  41. The Secret to Physician Wealth LIVE LIKE A RESIDENT! The White Coat Investor

  42. The Secret to Physician Wealth • Live like a resident while in training • Continue to live like a resident for a few more years • Carve out a massive chunk of your income with which to build wealth • Pay off loans • Save up down payment • Max out retirement accounts • Then enjoy the good life after 2-5 years The White Coat Investor

  43. Look at the numbers • Average Resident Salary: $60K • Average Attending Salary: $275K • Taxes $75K • Living expenses $60K • $140K to build wealth • Pay off loans • Save up down payment • Max out retirement accounts

  44. Look at the numbers • How long will your loans survive against a $140K/year onslaught? • $100K = < 1 year • $200K = 18 months • $300K = 2 ½ years • $400K = 3 years

  45. Have a written plan • First attending year is the most important year of your financial life • Much easier to grow slowly into your attending income than cut back later • Don’t blow your best chance to achieve financial freedom • Plan out what you will do with your first 12 paychecks BEFORE you ever get them • Hit the ground running with a written plan

  46. #7Contract Evaluation

  47. Be Careful Moving Into the Real World • 50% of doctors change jobs in their first 2-3 years after residency • Toxic jobs • Bad partners • Your career goals change • Do not buy a house until you are in a stable personal and professional situation • Golden handcuffs • Rent for 6-12 months until you know you like the job and the job likes you The White Coat Investor

  48. Know What Your Contract Says • Know your value • MGMA Data • Ask residents ahead of you for details • Consult salary surveys • Best negotiating position is another job acceptable to you • Have contract evaluated by health care attorney in the same state as job or a national contract evaluation service • Money is fungible to most employers • Trade benefits you don’t care about for benefits you do or for more salary, leave etc. The White Coat Investor

  49. Know What Your Contract Says • How is your paycheck is determined • What happens if you leave • How much notice • Non-competes • What happens if you are fired • How much notice • Non-competes • Partnership details The White Coat Investor

  50. What We Learned • You have a second job • Know your government loan programs and refinance when appropriate • Buy disability insurance • If you need insurance, buy term not whole life • Get in the habit of saving, Roth for residents • Live like a resident and hit the ground running. • Go into your job with your eyes wide open The White Coat Investor

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